Buying a kayak - how to buy?

[sheryl]

We enjoy several activities and kayaking is one of them.  We've always rented but dh has been eyeballing one for a couple years.  I'm not buying this for Christmas but considering for his birthday in April.

What features do you look for in buying a kayak. Won't buy the cheapest (like everything else you get what you pay for) and probably not the most expensive either.

Would like:

Hard shell
Sit-in (NOT on top)
Durable material
Storage area/hatch
Appropriate "hull" for leg room and stability (length, depth, width)
Cockpit ??  small enough for control but roomy enough

This will be recreational beginner  and NOT for white water rapids, ocean, huge lake, etc.  This will be for very small lake and river.  

Ideas on what to buy?
 

[Scarlett]

Following 

I think I would like the sit on top style. 
 

and also a dog friendly one 

[Gobblygook]

Also following. I have had an inflatable kayak for the last few years and would really like a hard-side one. 

[MEmama]

Kayaks sold out fast in our area this past spring and might still be hard to find. LLBean has only two listed on their site, both inflatable. They are, of course, typically a go to shop for paddling sports so this is highly unusual.

You might get lucky in spring checking on Craigslist in your local community. 
 

eta: we were told this spring when we bought ours that inventory is likely to remain low for another year or so, because they weren’t being replaced as they sold. We literally bought the last one available (in the model we wanted) at a very large outdoor retailer here. Hopefully they’ll catch up by spring or summer.

Edited December 16, 2020 by MEmama

[regentrude]

3 minutes ago, MEmama said:

Kayaks sold out fast in our area this past spring and might still be hard to find.

Yes, it was crazy - we tried this year, no luck. I hope spring is better.

Following for recommendations. We definitely want sit- in, not sit-on-top, because that's a pain with luggage.

[HS Mom in NC]

I have a cheap ($200) single kayaks from Dick's sporting goods-that doesn't include paddles, life vests, and suction cup bath pillow I put on my seat for lumbar support at first and butt padding later in the trip.  They're sit ins. You'll still get wet in a sit in, but not nearly as much as with a sit on. Adjustable foot rests and seats matter, so make sure those are part of the design.  I'm 5'1", if I wasn't able to adjust the foot rests so I have a little bend in my knee, it would be too hard. There's an elastic crisscrossed strap that hold bags on the back immediately behind the seat. At Amazon bought dry bags and a clear, waterproof phone protector in a lanyard that goes around my neck so I can still take pics.  (We usually kayak with wild horses on the river with us.)  I have water shoes too with a good tread on them because we had to haul kayaks up a riverbed and a long distance to the parking lot.

We moved 2 years ago and now live where most lakes rent kayaks for $5 an hour.  It's easier to rent for a couple of hours on site than it is to load them on top of my Sequoia and haul them because I don't live around my former kayaking people with truck beds who want to kayak all day long. My family wants to putter around for an hour or two, which is still lovely, but not not what I was doing before, so my kayaks sit in my shed. 

[alisoncooks]

I'd keep an eye on Craigslist. I'm hoping some of the enthusiastic purchasers from this past spring will be offloading their kayaks soon. 

[Ottakee]

Yes... consider how you will transport them.  

I found mine on Craigslist (several years ago), from a friend selling one, and then another friend gave me a sit on top.

Do you want speed or stability as primary goal?  My water crest is quite stable, flat bottomed but slower.   My Old Towne is a bit longer, more if a v shaped Hull, and faster, but a bit less stable    my sit on top is great for just paddling around for a bit or being able to get in and out of the water.  

I love all 3 depending on where I am going, how far, how fast if a group I am with, etc 

[Scarlett]

Does anyone take their dog on theirs?

[KungFuPanda]

I did a kayak course and my biggest takeaway was to try out several kayaks before you buy one because it’s so personal. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love a kayak as a gift, but the odds that it would get traded for something different t a few years down the road are high. The gift-giver would need to understand this is part of the process and not be offended if it happened. 

[HS Mom in NC]

3 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

@Homeschool Mom in AZ do you just shoot pics through the clear panel? How’s the quality? I have a lanyard like that but haven’t taken any photos with it yet. 

Yes, the pics are the same taken in the clear panel compared to out of the clear panel.

[HS Mom in NC]

1 hour ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

Yes, the pics are the same taken in the clear panel compared to out of the clear panel.

It's this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HM9PEFW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Carol in Cal.]

I’ve been researching this for myself, and what I keep bumping up against is I want to be able to handle mine by myself, but also have a good one that tracks well in the water and is stable with foot pegs, and the two desires are contradictory.   If someone bought me a kayak I’d be pretty disappointed at this point, because I’m honing what will work for me, it will inevitably be a compromise, and I am quite clear that I don’t want just any old thing.

All this to say, while I’m totally on board with wanting to be surprised, this is something I would want to pick out for myself.  Maybe sussing out whether that’s true of your DH would be good.

[Slache]

4 hours ago, sheryl said:

We enjoy several activities and kayaking is one of them.  We've always rented but dh has been eyeballing one for a couple years.  I'm not buying this for Christmas but considering for his birthday in April.

What features do you look for in buying a kayak. Won't buy the cheapest (like everything else you get what you pay for) and probably not the most expensive either.

Would like:

Hard shell
Sit-in (NOT on top)
Durable material
Storage area/hatch
Appropriate "hull" for leg room and stability (length, depth, width)
Cockpit ??  small enough for control but roomy enough

This will be recreational beginner  and NOT for white water rapids, ocean, huge lake, etc.  This will be for very small lake and river.  

Ideas on what to buy?
 

Go to a dealer and try them. It's worth a long drive.

3 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Following 

I think I would like the sit on top style. 
 

and also a dog friendly one 

They are far less stable and comfortable.

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

Does anyone take their dog on theirs?

Yes. Unless your dog wants to do lots of swimming it's not fun. If it's bigger than a shitzu you will go down.

[Scarlett]

4 minutes ago, Slache said:

Go to a dealer and try them. It's worth a long drive.

They are far less stable and comfortable.

Yes. Unless your dog wants to do lots of swimming it's not fun. If it's bigger than a shitzu you will go down.

My dog is a pointer mix and she loves loves loves to swim.  But I don't want to constantly be going down.  LOL  Maybe dh could handle her.

 

[BeachGal]

Definitely agree with trying out a few so you can get a feel for which features you'll want. LL Bean offers courses that provide the kayaks and teach you the basics. REI and other places might also. Classes are a good way to learn about safety. Streams and rivers can look calm but have fast-moving currents underneath. Having an expert who can teach this is the best way to go.

You'll also need a personal flotation device/lifejacket as well as equipment or the means to transport the kayak or a storage facility by the water where you want to kayak. You might also want to buy some of the incidentals, like dry bags and suitable clothing, etc.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/kayaking-what-to-wear.html

[Slache]

41 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

My dog is a pointer mix and she loves loves loves to swim.  But I don't want to constantly be going down.  LOL  Maybe dh could handle her.

 

Or get a kiddy kayak and tow her.

[sheryl]

3 minutes ago, Slache said:

Or get a kiddy kayak and tow her.

Love it!

[sheryl]

So, while we're not advanced, this is far from our first rodeo ykwim?  We've rented several times.

Storage and transportation are a given; I'm most interested in features.  The sit-in is safer than sit-on.  Yes, we need adjustable foot pegs.  Will be taking on our calm lakes (b/c that's what we have in NC.  Only 5 "real" lakes and  4 of those 5 are beach area/inland) and rivers that was once wild but is more a linked series of reservoirs than a genuine river.  Still, it spans 2 states and many,  many miles.  H'school Mom AZ, are you at coast?  OBX?  Beaufort?  Love the wild horses aka "bankers". 

[Slache]

32 minutes ago, sheryl said:

So, while we're not advanced, this is far from our first rodeo ykwim?  We've rented several times.

Storage and transportation are a given; I'm most interested in features.  The sit-in is safer than sit-on.  Yes, we need adjustable foot pegs.  Will be taking on our calm lakes (b/c that's what we have in NC.  Only 5 "real" lakes and  4 of those 5 are beach area/inland) and rivers that was once wild but is more a linked series of reservoirs than a genuine river.  Still, it spans 2 states and many,  many miles.  H'school Mom AZ, are you at coast?  OBX?  Beaufort?  Love the wild horses aka "bankers". 

That's why I said go see them. You will know as soon as you get in them that you do or do not like certain features.

[Ottakee]

A comfortable seat is a must.  My Old Town has a great seat, my cheaper Walmart type one, not so much.

The sit ins are great....unless you flip them and have to try to get to shore to drain it.   My sit on top is very stable, but not quite as comfy as my Old Town.

[sheryl]

3 minutes ago, Slache said:

That's why I said go see them. You will know as soon as you get in them that you do or do not like certain features.

Yes, I understand.  We have briefly looked at a couple places but I'm reaching out here to learn from owners like Seasider.  🙂

[Slache]

Just now, sheryl said:

Yes, I understand.  We have briefly looked at a couple places but I'm reaching out here to learn from owners like Seasider.  🙂

You're making me miss kayaking. We were supposed to buy more this year but we had an accidental pregnancy and it's just not in the cards at this point. Hopefully soon!

[sheryl]

2 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

A comfortable seat is a must.  My Old Town has a great seat, my cheaper Walmart type one, not so much.

The sit ins are great....unless you flip them and have to try to get to shore to drain it.   My sit on top is very stable, but not quite as comfy as my Old Town.

Right.  All in all the sit ins are safer and  that's the route we'll go.   Seat and back comfy - yes!

[Carol in Cal.]

1 hour ago, sheryl said:

Right.  All in all the sit ins are safer and  that's the route we'll go.   Seat and back comfy - yes!

I dunno, the idea of a sit in trapping me under the water makes me crazy scared enough to consider a scull instead.  Unfortunately those are even heavier.  Sigh.

[Ottakee]

1 hour ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I dunno, the idea of a sit in trapping me under the water makes me crazy scared enough to consider a scull instead.  Unfortunately those are even heavier.  Sigh.

Sit on tops are very stable.  One issue is that you can stay drier in a sit in so if it is cold out, a sit on top is not a great idea.   I have kayaked with snow on the banks ....and a sitnin was great then.

[HS Mom in NC]

2 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I dunno, the idea of a sit in trapping me under the water makes me crazy scared enough to consider a scull instead.  Unfortunately those are even heavier.  Sigh.

The kayak cockpit is too big for someone to be trapped in it. People put small kids, large, dogs and camping gear in single kayak cockpits with them. My 5'6" 300#+ SIL tipped over in one and managed to get out immediately.

And I've rented high end kayaks that track really well and owned and rented kayaks that don't track well, and the difference isn't so dramatic that even a newbie couldn't handle a poorer tracker.  It's relative and poor tracking isn't hard to overcome, even on your first paddle trip. 

If someone was going on rough rivers full of dangerous rocks and over waterfalls, I have no idea how much tracking matters.

[Alicia64]

Just adding that Costco sells kayaks. Friends bought through them and were really pleased.

W.

 

[LifeLovePassion]

We purchased Lightning Kayaks. They are a pedal drive fishing kayak. They will be coming out with a 2 foot shorter one soon (will be cheaper). They are local in MN, but do have dealers in a few states too. We were intrigued by being able to alternate pedaling and paddling.